Dear Readers:
2015 has been a year of frustration after it began with so much promise. We started the year anticipating the implementation of a series of executive actions that we hoped would dramatically improve many aspects of the immigration system. We were ready for the DAPA program for parents of US citizens and permanent residents. But that program has been blocked by litigation. We were told that a memorandum on L-1B announced by the President would make filing L-1B petitions more predictable. The memorandum only added to the confusion and has been panned by the business community. The H-4 employment authorization document regulation was written extremely narrowly and in a way that is forcing many people to have to face months of unemployment because USCIS will not allow change of status approvals to be timed to coincide with EAD approvals. The Visa Bulletin Modernization system was a fiasco with USCIS and DOS pulling the Visa Bulletin days before the much anticipated program was intended to take effect. And the “same or similar” occupation memorandum – intended to make it easier for people to use the AC21 portability statute – actually makes it less likely people will take advantage of that law.
Here’s hoping 2016 brings better news. Hopefully, Congress will try and pass positive immigration bills. And executive actions are implemented in the spirit they were announced. And when the executive and legislative branches fail to deliver, let’s all work to hold them accountable and force them to do the right thing.
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This month also saw the passage of a major spending bill in Congress that included a number of important changes to immigration law. The H-2B, Visa Waiver, L-1 and H-1B programs are all affected and a detailed summary of those changes is included in my featured article in this issue.
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Next month, my latest book will be released and it’s entitled The Physician Immigration Handbook. The book will be offered in both an ebook and print version. Look for more details soon.
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As always, we invite you to contact our firm if you would like to schedule a consultation with one of our lawyers. Just go to www.visalaw.com/consultation. Thanks.
Regards,
Greg Siskind
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk.